Search the SPREP Catalogue

Systematic conservation planning identifies priority areas to cost-effectively meet conservation targets. Yet, these tools rarely guide wholesale declaration of reserve systems in a single time step due to financial and implementation constraints. Rather, incremental scheduling of actions to progressively build reserve networks is required. To ensure this incremental action is guided by the original plan, and thus builds a reserve network that meets all conservation targets, strategic scheduling, and iterative planning is needed

This report describes, quantifies and, where possible, calculates the economic value of Tonga's marine and coastal resources. Seven key marine ecosystem services are evaluated in detail: subsistence and commercial fishing; minerals and aggregate mining; tourism; coastal protection; carbon sequestration; and research, management and education. Others services are explored as well, including cultural and traditional values associated with the sea, potential future industries and other human benefits that have not yet been analysed or exploited. The scarcity of data about many of these ecosystem services prevents alculation of the total economic value, so the values below should be regarded as minimum estimates. Data gaps are described in detail in this report.

Solomon Islands is composed of almost 1000 islands and has the second longest coastline and the second largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EZZ) in the Pacific. These physical characteristics and the unique society and culture of the population are the basis of the fundamental relationship that Solomon Islanders have with the ocean and its ecosystem services. This analysis aims to assist decision-makers to recognise the role that marine ecosystems play in human wellbeing. Ecosystem services, described as the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, are often not fully considered in decisions, because the market fails to reveal their true value. Failure to consider the role that marine ecosystems play in supporting livelihoods, economic activity and human wellbeing has, in many instances, led to inequitable and unsustainable marine resource management decisions.

F rom the writings of Aristotle (1) to the musings of Gilbert White in Georgian England (2), migratory birds have fascinated and inspired people for generations. Migrants undertake remarkable journeys, from endurance flights exceeding 10,000 km by bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) (3) to the annual relay of arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), which fly the equivalent of the distance to the moon and back three times during their lives (4). Migratory species make major contributions to resource fluxes, biomass transfer, nutrient transport, predator-prey interactions, and food-web structure within and among ecosystems (5) and play an important role in human culture (6). Yet more than half of migratory birds across all major flyways have declined over the past 30 years (7)

PACC reports

Reports from the PACC project